英国国家概况---地理

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1.Geography

1.1 General Geographical Features

The full and official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, usually abbreviated to the United Kingdom or the UK, Great Britain, or simply Britain, or sometimes informally England.

The country occupies the major part of the British Isles archipelago and includes the the island of Great Britain, the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and some smaller surrounding islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea with the south -east coast coming within 22 miles (35km) of the coast of northern France, from which it is separated by the English Channel.

1.2The Administrative Geography

The administrative geography of the UK is mainly made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

England accounts for just over half of the total area of the UK, which may be divided into three regions. The east and the southeast are mainly low-lying plains. The middle part is a region of mountains formed by the Pennines. The north and west of England are hilly, partly formed by the Cumbrian Mountain Range. London is the capital of both England and the UK. The second longest, most famous and important river in Britain, the River Thames, flows through London and goes into the English Channel.

Scotland occupies the northern part of Britain and accounts for just under a third of the total area of t he UK. The topography of Scotland is distinguished by the Highland Boundary Fault--- a geological rock fracture--- which traverses Scotland from Arran in the west to Stonehaven in the east. The faultline separates two distinctively different regions, namely the Highlands to the north and west and the Lowlands to the south and east. The more rugged Highland region contains the majority of Scotland’s mountains land, including Ben Nevis which at 1,343metres (4,406ft) is the highest point in the British Isles. Lowland areas --- especially the narrow waist of land between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth known as the Central Belt--- are flatter and home to most of the population including Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, and Edinburgh, its capital and political centre.

Wales accounts for less than a tenth of total area of the UK. Wales is mostly mountainous, though South Wales is less mountainous than North and Mid Wales. The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the coastal cities of Cardiff, its capital, Swansea and Newport, and the South Wales Valleys to their north. The highest mountains in Wales are in Snowdonia and include Snowdon which, at 1,085metres (3,560ft), is the highest peak in Wales. The River Severn is the longest river in the United Kingdom, and it is the greatest river in terms of water flow in England and Wales.

Northern Ireland, separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea and North Channel, has an area of 14,160 square kilometers(5,470sq mi) and is mostly hilly. It includes Lough Neagh, which is the largest lake in the British Isles by area. The highest peak in Northern Ireland is Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains at 852metres (2,795 ft). Its capital is Belfast.

1.3 Climate

The UK has a temperate oceanic climate(温带海洋性气候)，with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons seldom dropping below-11°C or rising above 35°C. The prevailing wind is from south-west and bears frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean, although the eastern parts are mostly sheltered from this wind since the majority of the rain falls over the western regions the eastern parts are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters; especially in the west where winters are wet and even more so over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south-east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Heavy snowfall can occur in winter and early spring on high ground, and occasionally settles to great depth away from the hills.